How much trouble Barack Obama and the Democratic party are in as the US heads towards November’s elections is debatable, but few would deny that the past week has set their prospects back. The president may have hoped to calm the controversy over the proposed mosque and Islamic cultural centre near Ground Zero in Manhattan, but he inflamed it. His supporters have divided on the issue, with many accusing the larger part of the electorate of bigotry. This is not good.
在美國即將迎來11月份中期選舉之際,巴拉克?奧巴馬(Barack Obama)和民主黨現在面臨多大麻煩尚未定論,但很少有人能否認,過去的一周令他們的前景黯淡。奧巴馬原本希望平息有關在世貿中心遺址(Ground Zero)附近建造清真寺和伊斯蘭文化中心引發的爭論,結果卻火上澆油。奧巴馬的支持者對該問題意見不一,許多人指責絕大部分選民偏執。這不是什么好事。